Policing Trends and Issues Essay

* History and roles of law enforcement in society. During the history of Law Enforcement the duty of police is to maintain order, dealing with lawbreakers. At the same time, citizens were responsible for protecting themselves and maintaining an orderly society. With the pass of the time, throughout the Law Enforcement field, organized police department have change dramatically. In addition, the modern style police departments did not appear until the fourteenth century in France and nineteenth century in England. Moreover, the first police officers were Praetorian Guard, who was a select group of highly qualified members of the military established by the Roman emperor Augustus to protect him and his palace. During the 1829, Sir Robert Peel credited with establishing the first English police department which was the London Metropolitan Police. At the same time, during the seventeenth century English policing system also used a form of individual, private police known them also like the Thief-takers. The Thief-Takers were private English citizens with no official status who were paid by the king for every criminal they arrested. The roles of law enforcement in society are criminal apprehension, conviction, and crime prevention. Throughout the history and roles of law enforcement many things have changed for example the treatment and punishments for offenders. In the past offenders were treat as animals and slaves, because while in prison they cannot communicate each other, during meal, and work. Moreover, during that time they have very strict rules, such as silent obedience, discipline, and labor, which they have to follow, and many offenders died inside of the prison as a result of brutal treatment. Now, offenders receive a different treatments and punishments, they are able to have communication with their inmates, and they do not receive brutal treatment like animals. They also form their gang members and sells drugs  while in prison. Then, during the 1980’s and 1990’s included the development of a computer revolution in policing involving communications, record keeping, fingerprinting, and criminal investigations. * Levels of jurisdiction. Police has jurisdiction and their city sheriff has jurisdiction over the county. * Distinction among the multiple functions of modern law enforcement agencies. * Analysis of historical events that have shaped modern policing practices. Past II – Scenario 1. Throughout the history of police agencies, there have been different traditions surrounding how to handle DUI stops. If you were on routine patrol and stopped a vehicle on reasonable suspicion of driving while intoxicated, and discovered that the passenger was your next door neighbor, what would you do? Historically, how would law enforcement handle this type of situation versus today? First at all, I will not care if he/she is my next door neighbor or even a family member, because I choose to become a police officer to protect and help my community without being corrupt. Then, I would do the right thing, without caring who is committing a DUI stop because my job is serving as a police officer and treat all people equal. I will handle this type of situation by asking for their license, insurance, and registration. In my opinion I think that law enforcement in the past should act violent, with the people. On the other hand, comparing it with today police officers should just ask for their license, insurance and registration, without any aggression against people. 2. You are on foot patrol and a citizen who is known to be a drug dealer walks up to you and complains that another officer is talking money from him. He is afraid of retaliation and is unsure how to handle this. What is the ethical and professional response to this, and why? 3. You are on duty and having lunch. While you are eating, a citizen walks up to you and tells you that the bank across the street is being robbed. How do you respond? Who has jurisdiction and why? 4. You have recently completed field training and are on routine patrol when you receive a call to a disturbance in a home, when you arrive, you realize that one of the individuals involved is threatening suicide. You have not been trained to deal with suicide threats. How do you respond? 5. You are on routine patrol and you notice two individuals on the street looking inside of jewelry store. It is 85 degrees out in the middle of July and they are both wearing heavy winter coats. Explain which Supreme Court case would apply and what you would do in this situation. 6. You are recruit that has just graduated from the academy. It is your first week being trained on the street. You and your Field Training Officer walk into a department store and you observe him taking an item without paying for it. You leave that store and on your way out he tells you that if you are questioned by anyone, you did not see anything. What do you do in this situation? Part III – summary Reactions * How do ethical decisions tie into the profession of policing? Ethical decisions tie into the profession of policing by doing the right thing. In other words, ethical decisions are a set of standards that tell us how we should behave at all times. In addition, no one stands without a code of ethics; everyone has to follow their code of ethics based on their positions. For example, ethics are more than what we must do its doing what we should do following a code of ethics which requires self control at all times. Moreover, ethical decisions tie into the profession of policing by doing the right thing and seeing the difference between the right and wrong thing. These ethical decisions are very significant in the field of policing because each ethical decision has consequences. For example, when you do the right thing you can gain sacrifice, pride, integrity, reputation, honor, respect, caring, responsibility and satisfaction than doing an unethical decision and having bad consequences for your career. * In the scenarios above, and in general, why do you think it is important to maintain ethical and professional behavior in the workplace at all times. It is important to  maintain ethical and professional behavior in the workplace at all time, because it help you to have self-control, give fairness for all, and because it affects our workplace or business. Another reason of why ethical and professional behavior is important in the workplace at all times is important is because having a good conduct helps maintain a high level of respect not only for people but for the profession you have. In other words, as a professional, you need to know the things you should not do because each workplace has a different ethical code of behavior that has to be follow and not to be violate. On the other hand, being honest, having respect and telling the truth all times at work is an ethical thing to do. Maintaining an ethical and professional behavior in the workplace at all times, have benefits, which are helpful such as respect, integrity, and honor. Also each professional behavior has a result of progress, and success. Then, having an ethical and professional behavior is important because if you chose a career in criminal justice you have to serve and protect people from criminals by doing the right thing not by being corrupt. * Describe why it is important to understand the function of law enforcement within the criminal justice and how understanding this can better prepare you for a career within the criminal justice field. For example, if you chosen career function is corrections, how does law enforcement work with the correctional system in ensuring justice is served?